--- title: "Find a Pension From an Old Job | Pensions Advice UK" url: https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/find-pension-from-old-employer/ description: "How to find a pension from an old job, even if the company closed. Where to look for NHS, teachers, council, civil service and armed forces pensions." last_updated: 2026-10-08 publisher: "Pensions Advice UK (a trading name of GAP-GNX Ltd)" language: en-GB --- Find lost pensions # How to find a pension from an old job Whether it was a few years at a supermarket or a career in the NHS, a pension from an old employer is usually still there, even if the company has changed or closed. [Start a tracing enquiry](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-tracing-application/) Free to enquire. We are an introducer, not an adviser. Important information - Introductions to FCA-authorised advisers - Free to enquire - We call back within the hour, 9am to 5pm weekdays - Details passed on only with your consent **Quick answer:** Search for the employer on the free government [Pension Tracing Service](https://www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details) to get the contact details for its pension scheme, then write to the scheme with your National Insurance number, date of birth and the dates you worked there. Public sector schemes, such as the NHS, teachers, councils and the armed forces, each have their own pension administrator. ## Private sector employers If you worked for a company, your pension will usually be in one of two places: - **The company’s own pension scheme**, often a final salary scheme for older jobs, run by trustees with an administrator who handles the paperwork. - **A pension provider the employer chose**, such as an insurer or a scheme like Nest, especially for jobs since automatic enrolment began in 2012. Payslips, P60s and old letters often name the scheme. If not, the [Pension Tracing Service](https://www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details) is the place to start. ### What if the company no longer exists? The pension doesn’t disappear when an employer closes or is taken over. Money in a pension pot is held separately from the business, normally by an insurer or the scheme’s trustees. Final salary schemes whose employer has failed may have moved to the [Pension Protection Fund](https://www.ppf.co.uk). The [Pension Tracing Service](https://www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details) keeps records of schemes that have moved or been wound up. ## Public sector pension schemes | If you worked for | Where to look | | --- | --- | | The NHS in England or Wales | The NHS Pension Scheme, run by the NHS Business Services Authority | | The NHS in Scotland, or teachers in Scotland | The Scottish Public Pensions Agency | | Health and social care in Northern Ireland | The HSC Pension Service | | A school in England or Wales as a teacher | The Teachers’ Pension Scheme | | A council, or as support staff in a school | The Local Government Pension Scheme. Each area has its own fund, usually linked to the county or city you worked in | | The civil service | The Civil Service Pension Scheme | | The armed forces | The Armed Forces Pension Scheme, run by Veterans UK | | The police or fire service | Your force’s or service’s own pension administrator | Public sector pensions are usually final salary or career average pensions, so even a few years’ service can be worth having. ## What to send when you write to an old scheme - Your full name and any previous names - Your date of birth and National Insurance number - Your address now and the one you had when you worked there - The employer’s name, where you worked and roughly when - Any payroll, staff or membership number you still have ## Can’t remember every employer? Your [HMRC online account](https://www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account) shows recent employers, and HMRC can help with older records. Our [step-by-step guide](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/how-to-find-out-what-pensions-i-have/) covers how to build a full list. ## If you would rather someone did it for you Tracing pensions yourself costs nothing but time. If you don’t have the time, or the letters and ID checks are putting you off, tell us what you remember and we’ll put you in touch with the right service: - **Pension Pie**, our sister company, traces pensions of any size for one fixed fee of £249 including VAT. It never takes a percentage of what it finds and never moves your money. - **An FCA-authorised adviser** may trace your pensions as part of an advice service, typically where they total £75,000 or more. The adviser explains any fees before you go ahead. [Start a tracing enquiry](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-tracing-application/) [How paid tracing works](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/why-pay-for-pension-tracing/) ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I find a pension from a previous employer? Search for the employer on the free government Pension Tracing Service to get its pension scheme’s contact details, then write to the scheme with your National Insurance number, date of birth and the dates you worked there. ### What happens to my pension if my old employer went bust? The money in a pension pot is held separately from the business, so it is still there. Final salary schemes of employers that failed may have moved to the Pension Protection Fund, which pays compensation to members. ### How do I find my NHS pension? In England and Wales, the NHS Pension Scheme is run by the NHS Business Services Authority. In Scotland it is the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, and in Northern Ireland the HSC Pension Service. ### I worked for a council years ago. Do I have a pension? Quite possibly. Council staff, and support staff in schools, are usually in the Local Government Pension Scheme, run by a local fund for the area you worked in. Contact that fund with your details. ### Is a pension from a short job worth finding? Often, yes. Older workplace schemes and public sector schemes can pay a guaranteed income for life even from a few years’ service, and small pots can grow over decades. ## More on finding lost pensions - [How do I find out what pensions I have?](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/how-to-find-out-what-pensions-i-have/) - [Can I find my pension with my National Insurance number?](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/find-pension-with-national-insurance-number/) - [Finding a pension with a provider that changed its name](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/find-pension-with-provider/) - [Finding a pension from years ago](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/find-pension-from-years-ago/) - [How to check your pensions online](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/check-my-pension/) - [Pensions dashboards: when can I see all my pensions?](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/pensions-dashboard/) - [SERPS: how to check and find yours](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/serps-state-earnings-related-pension-scheme/) - [The government Pension Tracing Service or paid tracing?](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/free-or-paid-pension-tracing/) - [What could an old pension be worth?](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-value-calculator/) ### Important information Pensions Advice UK is a trading name of GAP-GNX Ltd. We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and we do not provide financial, investment, pension or tax advice. We act solely as an introducer. The information on this page is general information only. It is not a personal recommendation and should not be relied upon when making decisions about your pension. Whether any course of action is right for you depends on your individual circumstances. When you make an enquiry, we may introduce you to an FCA-authorised financial adviser. Any advice, recommendation or regulated service will be provided by that authorised firm, not by Pensions Advice UK. The authorised firm will explain its services and any fees to you directly before you decide to proceed. FCA-authorised firms may have their own criteria for accepting clients, over which we have no control. The value of pensions and investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you put in. Past performance is not a guide to future returns. Transferring or combining pensions is not right for everyone and may mean giving up valuable benefits or guarantees. Free and impartial guidance about your pension options is available from the government’s MoneyHelper service, and if you are aged 50 or over from Pension Wise, at moneyhelper.org.uk. ## Want your old pensions found? Tell us what you remember. We’ll introduce you to a tracing service or, for larger pensions, an FCA-authorised adviser. Start a tracing enquiry 020 3778 0939 We’re an introducer, not an adviser. ## Want help finding them? Start online, or call us. We call back within the hour between 9am and 5pm on weekdays, or the next working day. [Start a tracing enquiry](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-tracing-application/) [020 3778 0939](tel:+442037780939) [Call us](tel:+442037780939) [Enquire](https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-tracing-application/) --- Pensions Advice UK (a trading name of GAP-GNX Ltd) connects UK residents with FCA-authorised pension advisers and pension tracing services. It is not FCA-authorised and does not give financial or tax advice. It acts solely as an introducer to FCA-authorised firms, who provide any advice and explain any fees before you proceed. This is the text version of https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/find-pension-from-old-employer/. More pages: https://new.pensionsadviceuk.com/llms.txt